Football CRC 2 Ely City 2

ELY twice surrendered the lead as CRC salvaged a point.

A goal in either half for Richard Chadwick was cancelled out on two occasions by Ellis Lentell, as the Cambridge United scholars, who sit second from bottom of the league, rescued a point.

The draw leaves Alan Alsop’s men stuck in 13th place in the Thurlow Nunn Premier Division ahead of their potentially lucrative FA Vase tie with Spalding United at the Unwin Ground on Saturday.

Chadwick struck the bar with a powerful header in a lively start for both sides, but it was the Robins who went on to take the lead as Chadwick, restored to the starting lineup in place of Austen Diaper, mopped up from close range after Andrew Claydon struck a post.

The home side needed just a few minutes to restore parity though, as Lentell seized on an under-hit back pass from Sam Parkinson and rounded the stranded Lee Pacey to slot home.

The hosts could have gone in at the break in the lead but were denied by Pacey, who saved well from a powerfully struck shot from range.

Despite CRC carrying the momentum in at the break, it was the Robins who started the quicker in the second half and they regained their lead 10 minutes in through Chadwick, the striker collected a flick-on from Darren Coe to nod home.

Ely threatened to overrun their hosts in the next 10 minutes, Chadwick, Nick Impey and Luke Parkinson all managing efforts on goal, but they couldn’t score the goal to kill the game off an CRC made them pay.

In the 68th minute, a high ball was launched into the Ely box from half-way and and a lack of a decisive clearance allowed Lentell to profit, the striker firing home from on the angle.

The hosts were once more spurred on by their breakthrough and only a couple of good saves from Pacey kept Ely from falling behind in the latter stages.